We Soar Above the Clouds
by Rays of Color
Summary: Sequel to 'As The Skies Open'. New Chapter up! Thank you guys for your patience and support; the wait is finally over! Hiccup's life after The Battle with the Green Death is a world away from her life before Toothless; She's accepted, dragons are an integral part of the village, and yet unhappy reminders still remain of her past life.
1. Winter Chill

**A/N:** Hey there! Yes, I'm back, and yes, this is (going to be) the sequel to 'As the Skies Open', titled '**We Soar Above the Clouds**'. :) I wanted to give you this first chapter earlier than I was planning as a little gift. I'm not sure when the next one will be up, but I figured at least you guys will have a chapter so you know I haven't just dropped my AtSO-verse off a cliff or something.

Please, please, leave me reviews so I know if this story is coming along well. As I've mentioned to some of you, this sequel is not going to follow any HTTYD material; it's entirely my own work now. While it's exciting, it's also kind of scary, because I have nothing but your feedback to let me know if I'm on the right track. So I'm counting on you to help me out here, please and thank you. :)

Please bear in mind the first few chapters are going to be a tad slow. I won't really get into the core/point of this story for several chapters, so please just hang in there with me and keep reading!

Thank you guys for all your support on AtSO, this sequel never would have happened without your love making it as successful and fun to write as it was. I'm glad to be back, glad to write Hiccup and Toothless and all these other characters that have taken residence in my head, and I hope you enjoy! It's not quite a teaser, since it's a full chapter, and I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible

Thanks again to all my faithful readers!

_~Rays of Color_

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**Chapter One: Winter Chill**

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The setting sun blazed in the later winter sky. Few gulls stirred, as it was still too cold for much animal activity, and the late afternoon passed in a peaceful quiet. Snow still blanketed much of Berk and the rest of the isle, but some of the sunnier cliffs remained bare, warmed by the sea and the absence of shading trees. The winds subsided today, leading to an almost-glassy surface on the water.

A dark shape lay atop one of these bluffs, overlooking the gray-blue winter sea. The Night Fury sprawled contentedly on the rocks, warmed by the fire in his belly against the chill that came from being a few degrees South of Freezing-to-Death. The human who reclined against his flank was not so lucky; she was swaddled in many layers of clothing to ward off the cold. A long bear-fur cloak wrapped around her, underneath which a woolen, fur lined mantle covered thin shoulders. The girl also wore a thick woolen tunic that nearly reached her knees, a warm, long-sleeved undershirt underneath that, and a pair of thick leggings. Despite her many layers, only the dragon's warm presence at her back kept her from shivering.

Hiccup had to fight her father to let her go out flying for very long at all. She understood he had a reason to be concerned – her health had always been frail at best, and more than half her winters resulted in her being bedridden for weeks. Cold didn't agree well with Hiccup, which was ironic given her clan lived in one of the northern-most locations she knew.

But the fact remained that she couldn't stand to be out of the sky for long, and neither could Toothless. The past two days, with their raging winds and stinging, wet snow, had been miserable. Hiccup _knew _it would be stupid to brave the weather, for she'd just ridden herself of uncomfortable, wracking coughs and was in no hurry to get sick all over again. But with a today, with weather that was as pleasant as Berk saw in winter, she could restrain herself no longer. She woke up early, threw on as many layers as she could stand, and she and Toothless rushed outside; her father's concerns had only waylaid them for minute or two.

Their entire day was spent in the cool sunshine, and both Hiccup and Toothless reveled in the rushing air. Even now, a little more than two and a half years since her village had honored her at Champions' Tower, Hiccup still felt more at home in the air than she did on the ground. It was amazing and wonderful to be accepted by her people; but Hiccup was still very different. She always had been, and always would be. Berk accepted her, but no one really understood her. She was still an oddity, albeit a respected one. So the air remained her escape.

Plus, she needed to get out of the house. With her seventeeth birthday and coming-of-age around the corner, her father had tried to broach the subject of succession several times. Both she and Snotlout were eligible heirs, and recently her relations with her cousin had been rather strained. She knew he wanted to be chief; up until the battle with the Green Death, everyone had expected it to be him without question. Now things were more complicated. Hiccup still didn't know if she wanted to be chief, if she wanted to shoulder that heavy responsibility. No matter what, Toothless would always come first in her life; her abilities as a chief might suffer under the strain of coming second to a dragon who needed her to fly.

She scratched absently at that dragon's hide as she continued to think. No one was as important in her life as Toothless. Not Astren, her boyfriend of more than two years, not even her father. That was another thing the villagers simply didn't get; their dragons were indeed important to them, but everyone had at least one human relationship that remained more important. Not so for Hiccup; she often speculated that even if her mother were still alive, Toothless would outrank even that incredible woman.

To be fair, Hiccup's extreme loyalty was exactly mirrored by the Night Fury. He saved her life more times than she cared to remember (mostly because reliving a near-death experience was not her idea of a pleasant time), and protected her fiercely. For all his retractable teeth and razor-like claws, though, he was also incredibly cuddly. Every night, he curled up on her bed, his breath taking on a cat-like purring as they drifted off to sleep (Hiccup had discovered on a short trip to visit the Meatheads, who remained tense and borderline hostile around dragons, that it was nearly impossible for her to fall asleep without that sound). More often than not, Hiccup would wake up to a large, lithe black wing draped over her in an absent-minded gesture that read both protectiveness and affection.

Plus, she thought as she turned to see Toothless munching on a fish, she couldn't ask for a better friend in all the world. Regardless of the fact that she remained unable to understand his language (for she was sure Toothless did speak, just that they had no way to cross the barrier), there was no one with whom she communicated as well. The language thing had bothered her off and on over the past years, however. Toothless was always so patient on the occasions when body language and basic gestures, failed them, and she had to simply guess at what he was trying to say. Furthermore, sometimes she just wanted to hear what he had to say. She was sure it would be fascinating to talk, really talk, to the mighty Fury who was her best friend.

The sun sank even further, and Hiccup sighed, struggling to gain her feet under the many layers of fur and cloth that kept her from freezing.

"C'mon bud," she smiled at Toothless, "we'd better head back before I turned into a icicle."

The Fury snorted, but shook himself as he rose to pad next to his human. He interrupted the girl as she rubbed her hands to restore some warmth to them; with a gentle _whuff_, he breathed hot air right onto her chilled fingers. Hiccup beamed at him, touched by the gesture. Her hands now warm, she swung herself up into the black leather saddle with an ease born of years of practice.

Although, she mused, it was rather ironic that she could throw herself into the saddle at a moment's notice, yet she still struggled with walking. The bitterness that threatened to cloud her happy mood quickly melted away as Toothless launched them both into the sunset, the orange lighting casting Berk in a homey, warm light. Hiccup enjoyed the flight home despite the biting cold, and reluctantly slid down from the saddle when Toothless landed. She removed the saddle from his shoulders, knowing her friend was more comfortable sleeping without it on. Her fingers only fumbled a few times, even with the cold so familiar were the movements.

"There you go, Bud," she smiled at the dragon, saddle bundled up under one arm while her free hand reached out to pat the Fury. He whuffed gently at her, his hot breath warming the few bits of skin exposed to the winter air, and she laughed. "Let's go home, you goof."

Together, they began trudging through the snow, up the hill to the Chief's house. Hiccup supposed she could have gone straight to the Great Hall for dinner, but she wanted to get Toothless' saddle oiled and put away before eating. Three years experience had taught her it was better to take good care of the gear she created for Toothless, rather than it wearing out more quickly and giving without warning (like that time a year and a half ago when one of the main straps on Toothless' saddle had sheared unexpectedly. Mid-flight. Stoick was furious, having seen her fall from his position on the ground. She suspected it was too similar to how she fell after defeating the Green Deaths for her father's comfort. Luckily, Toothless' quick reactions saved her again.) so dinner would just have to wait.

Toothless walked in front of her, his large body breaking up the snow to allow Hiccup easier passage. She was straggling just a little bit, struggling to find footing on the icier layers underneath with her prosthetic, when another person crashed straight into her.

With a grunt, Hiccup tumbled to the ground, one cheek mashed against the dirty sleet that had long since frozen to the ground. A surprised 'oof' from the body next to her showed the other person hadn't even seen her.

"Sorry," Hiccup began, rolling over and sitting up. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Toothless a few yards away whip his head around as he realized she wasn't right behind him. "I didn't see y–"

The other viking raised their head, and Hiccup stopped short. She was face to face with Jabtooth, her worst childhood bully. In the last three years, she'd only crossed paths with the older girl twice – She worked at the blacksmith and taught willing townspeople how to fly, while Jabtooth worked down at the docks. Those two encounters had been tense, not a word spoken between them. Jabtooth ended up clenching her sturdy fists, apparently fighting down an aggressive urge, while Hiccup had ended up freezing on the spot, eyes wide and forcibly keeping herself from backing away from the larger girl.

Now, Hiccup had to suppress that same reaction. She belonged here in Berk, she was a hero, and she wouldn't let anyone make her feel inferior anymore. Not even a childhood demon. Swallowing hard, she jerkily pushed off the ground and staggered to her feet. Jabtooth stood much more gracefully (after all, _she_ hadn't lost part of a leg saving a village that wanted nothing to do with her and treated her like scum, Hiccup couldn't help but thinking rather bitterly), brushing herself off before she suddenly tensed.

A hot puff of air rushed past Hiccup, and she knew Toothless stood at her back, mostly likely glaring at Jab. He was likely just overprotective and concerned; the Night Fury had never met Jabtooth before, knew nothing of the history between the two girls (he hadn't been there the two times since the Battle that she'd run across Jab). Still, it would be a good idea to diffuse the situation, _now_. Jabtooth, as far as Hiccup could tell, was one of the Vikings that still wasn't completely comfortable around dragons, and being face to face with their former worst enemy could prod the brutish girl into lashing out. Hiccup would rather _not_ have to explain why Toothless had torn a villager to shreds to anyone.

"Toothless, stop, it was just an accident," she turned, one gloved hand stroking the dragon's snout. He huffed again, and then inhaled, looking like he was about to relax. Some scent must have caught his attention though, for his eyes narrowed sharply.

Her last thought was _oh NO,_ before Hiccup flung herself at the dragon in a desperate attempt to stop his imminent attack.

* * *

He'd turned his head when he heard Hiccup grunt; likely, she'd just stumbled on the ice (she didn't posses claws like his to anchor her in place on the frozen hillside) but it was always, _always _a better idea to double check where his human was concerned. She had a decided knack for getting into trouble.

He found two bodies sprawled in the snow – the slight one was Hiccup, swaddled in furs and wool to protect her scrawny frame from the cold. The bulkier one was a stranger, but the style of clothing told him it was a villager. It was a female, too, although her face was much more square and threatening than his Hiccup's open, friendly features. He sent his best glare at the unfamiliar female. As a local, she probably meant no harm to Hiccup (her rather fickle clan practically worshipped the ground his human walked on now, although their treatment had been cruel before she saved them all. His blood still simmered, remembering an afternoon where Hiccup showed up in their cove with a bruised face and an unfamiliar scent after being beaten by one of her kin.). Still, it wouldn't hurt to establish the pecking order with this stranger, so Toothless gave her his best glare – eyelids shaping his eyes to look more elongated than round, pupils narrowing to predatory slits, upper lip curled in a snarl to reveal a row of pointy silver teeth.

He rather enjoyed the stranger's look of fear. Hiccup, however, was not pleased with him, urging him to stop scaring the townsgirl. Of course, he was powerless to deny her when she scratched his snout like she was currently, and this stranger posed no apparent threat, so he dropped the glare and huffed, drawing in a fresh breath of wintery air.

That was when he caught the scent. The scent from that afternoon all those years ago, with a shaken and bruised Hiccup. The scent of her tormentor. The village was too swimming with people and dragons and livestock for him to have picked it out earlier, but here, with few people out and about and the chill erasing any old scents, he caught it anew.

_Die, worthless human_, he roared as he lunged forward, intent of destroying this human who had dared to hurt his Hiccup.

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**A/N**: and that's the end of the chapter! Oh, come on, I couldn't help myself with the cliffhanger. I have to give you some incentive to stick around!

Please drop me a review, your feedback is my guiding light on this story, as explained above. Also, I'm always here to answer PM's, so feel free to message me, it absolutely makes my day!


	2. Uncomfortable, Even Now

**A/N:** Hello again my dears! Here's the long-awaited (except not actually) second chapter of the _As The Skies Open_ sequel, _We Soar Above the Clouds_. Keep in s, input, ideas, or critiques, please don't hesitate to drop me a review and let me know. As always, I love getting PM's, so don't hesitate to mind that these first several chapters are an introduction, a prelude in a way, so bear with me as it will take a few more chapters to really get into the meat of the story. In the meantime, I've done my best to keep the introduction interesting and set up all the characters believably. If you have any commentmessage me if you want (it always makes my day :) )

Enjoy the next chapter, and I'll try to post again soon!

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**Chapter Two: Uncomfortable, Even Now**

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A split second before the Night Fury lunged, Hiccup knew Toothless was about to attack. She saw it in the tensed muscles of his neck, the line of his shoulder blades, the narrowing of his pupils. There was only a moment for her to react in, and react she did. Right as he roared forward, Hiccup threw herself directly in the dragon's path, arms spread wide. Silver teeth rushed toward her throat, and –

And they froze only inches from her skin. Toothless screeched to a halt, flaring his wings and lashing his tail around his body to curb his momentum, every fiber in his body straining to avoid collision and the injury it would cause Hiccup's frail body.

Practically nose to nose, she could see his eyes change from angry to panicked; he began sniffing at her, oh-so-gently prodding her with his snout to make sure he hadn't hurt her.

"I'm fine, Toothless, you didn't do anything to me," she spoke quickly, one hand rubbing across his scales soothingly. "But you can't attack Jabtooth," she added, tone firm.

He jerked his head back, pupils narrowing in what she guessed was outrage and anger.

"_No_, Toothless," she commanded. With a sinking feeling, she thought she knew what this was about. He had a similar expression years ago, after she showed up in their cove with a bruised face post Jabtooth run-in. "You cannot attack a villager unless they're actually hurting me! You can't go after someone on a years-old grudge!"

He merely snarled, peering past her to glare at Jabtooth, whom Hiccup guessed was still frozen in place.

"She hasn't touched me in years, Bud, and you know it," the younger girl chided, hands propped on bony hips. When he didn't budge, she sighed, lowering her voice. She didn't want Jabtooth to hear what she had to say next, still felt vulnerable and exposed and despised in the older girl's presence, even with Toothless so close. "_Please_, Toothless. For me. I don't want to dig up old demons, life is complicated enough as it is."

He held his stance for another long moment, and then relaxed with a huff. Hiccup relaxed too, turning to face Jabtooth. The brawnier girl was still sitting on the ground, frozen with an alarmed expression and wide eyes.

"Sorry, he can be temperamental at times," Hiccup babbled, grasping for an excuse other than _'he wants to kill you because you hurt me once'_. As much as the sentiment warmed her heart (in an odd way, because Hiccup was pretty sure she should be upset at him for nearly killing a villager, but she couldn't because that villager was the nightmare of her childhood. Jabtooth was the one who started teasing and tormenting Hiccup only a month or two after Valhallarama's death, the one who first established Hiccup as the village scapegoat and nuisance. Toothless was only trying to protect her; he was the only one who ever saw the full extent of the damage those years caused. Gobber, Astren, her dad, they all knew bits and pieces, but never the whole thing.), she figured the explanation would be taken poorly by Jabtooth and the villagers. Most had adapted very well to life lived alongside dragons, but a small number of villagers remained unhappy and apprehensive about the newest additions to village life. She knew Jabtooth was one of them, for the older girl still had not bonded with a dragon. "We've had a long day, he's kinda cranky," she continued to lie, as Jabtooth slowly got to her feet.

"Yeah. Sure," Jabtooth responded curtly, alternating between nervously watching Toothless to staring at Hiccup as if she had two heads. She darted off as soon as she was back on her feet, moving remarkably quickly for such a lumbering frame.

Then again, Hiccup thought with a tinge of bitterness, Jab had always been fast enough to catch up to her.

A low growl roused her from her thoughts; Toothless was glaring at the buildings Jabtooth had disappeared between.

"Stop that," she chided gently, stroking the top of his head. "You're scaring the villagers."

Indeed he was, as several nearby townspeople halted in their tracks or headed the other direction, clearly unnerved by an angry Night Fury. He huffed, but fully relaxed at last. His head turned, butting against her shoulder joint as he nuzzled at her. She giggled, patting his head and receiving a low rumbling purr in return. Sometimes he was nothing more than a giant, cuddly, scaled cat.

"Lets go home, bud," she said softly. "Y'know, before you try to kill anyone else."

Even when she turned around and began limping uphill, she could hear his indignant chirrup.

"Yeah, I know, I know, only people who you think deserve it. Still, I'd rather not deal with the fuss, thanks," she responded playfully. A couple passers-by gave her odd looks; although most riders spoke to their dragons, few carried on (seemingly one-sided) conversations with their companions. Surprise, surprise, even now Hiccup was an oddity. Although, she thought wryly, when had she ever truly expected to blend in?

By the time she got to the door of her house, at the top of the hill, her bad leg ached as it always did. Three years after the battle, her leg was fully healed but not fully functional, even with a prosthetic. Gobber thought it was because of how weak she was afterward; she'd spent three weeks in a coma, two with a terrible fever, and by the end of the third they began to worry about her succumbing to malnutrition. When she woke, she was weaker than she'd ever felt; before she lost her leg, she was scrawny and small, with little spare weight to loose. After, she'd been rail-thin. Just finding the energy to move had been a struggle for weeks. She was emaciated and sickly for months before her body recovered enough to return to a healthy weight – she'd always been slow to heal, and slower to put on weight. With her recovery so protracted, she supposed it was no surprise her limp had stuck. On good days, it was present but hardly slowed her down; on bad days, she could barely support her own weight. But through it all, Toothless was at her side, lending support both literal and metaphorical. She smiled at him now, as she pushed the door open.

"Hey, Dad," She greeted as she stepped inside. As soon as the door closed, Hiccup began shedding her many layers, for the fireplace sported a roaring blaze and the house was too warm for her snow clothes.

"Evenin', Hiccup," her father rumbled from his seat next to the fire. He sipped at a steaming beverage while absently looking over a map spread across his lap. "I brought ye dinner from the Hall, thought ye might be hungry after all that flyin'."

A delighted smile spread across her face – Stoick had become a much more attentive father after the Battle and Hiccup's injury, but displays of affection still aren't exactly common or comfortable. This, however, him bringing her dinner so she won't have to venture back out into the snow, is perfect. It shows them both that he cares without being too emotional, which is Hiccup's personal favorite, for neither of them are good with emotions.

"Thanks, Dad," she sighed as a whiff of food caught her attention. "I'm starving, I'll eat as soon as I undo Toothless' gear."

As Hiccup released Toothless from his tack, Stoick continued speaking.

"I also brought home a fish fer yer Fury, figured he'd eat while ye were flyin' but wouldn't mind a snack either."

The last of the gear freed from Toothless, Hiccup deposited it in the cubby underneath the stairs sized especially for holding the stuff, and made her way over to her father to give him a brief hug. He often got cross with Toothless (nothing serious, but both are easily irritated with one another; Toothless when he thought Stoick was too brusque with Hiccup, Stoick when he thougth Toothless was overstepping his bounds as a dragon in a human household. They'd been testy around each other for a week when Toothless began sleeping in Hiccup's bed as a source of comfort to ward off her frequent nightmares.), so for him to bring dinner for both his daughter and her dragon was a rather big step in the ongoing battle for peace between a Viking Chief and his former worst enemy.

"Thanks," she repeated as she hugged him, and for a short moment Stoick's large arms closed around her narrow shoulders, one hand patting her snow-damp hair. They both pulled away just a moment later, avoiding each other's eyes, and clearing their throats awkwardly.

Right. Emotions, uncomfortable, especially around her father.

But still, she thought as she tossed the fish her dad brought home to Toothless and took her seat at the table to eat her dinner, it's better than before.

As she munched the last bits of her dinner, a jaw-cracking yawn made her pause with food halfway to her mouth. It was a big enough yawn to make her tired eyes water, and she heard her father chuckle fondly.

"Alrigh', off ta bed with ye, before ye fall asleep at the table," he said, pointing towards her room upstairs. Hiccup dragged herself away from the table and to her room, Toothless at her side to ease her passage up the stairs on tired legs. She stripped off the rest of her clothes once in her room, exchanging them for a warm nightgown, and paused on the edge of her bed to remove her prosthetic. Once it rested against the bedpost, she scooted to the center of the bed, drawing the covers up to her chin and patting the blankets for Toothless to jump up.

Once he settled, curled at the end of her too-large bed, Hiccup closed her eyes. Exhaustion pulled at her, but a vague, unsettling feeling kept her awake. She knew from experience that ignoring it would only delay sleep, and possibly even cause nightmares depending on what was bothering her, so the only option was to pick the feeling apart until she understood.

It had started before she got home, that she was sure of. Perhaps it was lingering adrenaline from Toothless trying to bite Jabtooth's head off? Not quite right, she thought. If she were to be honest, it sprung up the moment she recognized Jabtooth.

Dammit.

She knew what this meant – it would be a restless night. These moods struck rarely, only a few times over the last few years, but they were miserable and left her with insomnia. She was also cranky the next day, from the last lingering traces of these dark moods and the lack of sleep.

She was angry. Angry, upset, resentful. At her village, her friends, her father.

Most of the time, she was grateful for how she was treated now. As the hero of her village, she was treated with respect (if not always understanding, but that was also part of the problem). She had friends, a boyfriend, peers that no longer tormented her. It was a lot to appreciate, given how she used to be treated.

And that was what made her angry; she shouldn't _have_ to be appreciative. She never should have been subjected to those years of torment in the first place! For nine years she was an outcast in everything but name, and even then she was pretty sure it was only her status as the chief's only child that kept the villagers from running her out of town. She _hated_ it. She hated that for nine years, the village at large thought it was acceptable to scorn her, turn their backs on her, laugh at her.

She hated that the only reason they'd changed their opinions on her was because she'd nearly lost her life saving close to half the village. She hated that most of them still didn't even try to understand her, merely tolerated her strangeness because she'd saved them. She was still a nuisance, but one they treated nicely instead of poorly.

She hated how quickly opinions of her changed. Her friends only became her friends because she'd started succeeding in training, and then turned their backs the moment she was disgraced. Of course, they'd reforged the tentative friendship when they accompanied her on dragon-back to take on the Green Death, but the point still stood. Even Astren was the same; he'd hated her, and then his opinion suddenly changed. She didn't understand it; how could such a quick change of opinion be anything other than fickle?

The village liked her for being their savior. Her status as savior overruled her status as Hiccup. But she was still _Hiccup_, she was still the girl everyone had called a curse and a disappointment. They didn't mind now, but they sure had minded before she'd saved them.

She was still an outsider, she brooded. She always would be, in this village. There was no chance of her truly belonging, she would always be too _different_. Angry moisture gathered in her eyes as she bit back a shaky breath.

She also hated that something a small as an encounter with Jabtooth could shake her happiness so easily. Just a minute in the presence of the bane of her childhood, and all the old insecurities and hurt came tumbling back the moment she stopped to think. It was ridiculous, she should be stronger than this! She'd befriended a Night Fury, taken on a mountain of a dragon and won, saved a village from destruction, both short- and long-term. She shouldn't dissolve into angry helplessness so quickly.

And yet she here she was. Hiccup groaned and punched her pillow in frustration. She felt like she was drowning in a cycle of anger that fueled helplessness that fueled anger.

A soft croon and a shift of her bed refocused her attention. Toothless had crawled alongside her, his yellow-green eyes watching hers patiently. He huffed at her, warm breath washing over her face and easing some of the tension from her body. Hiccup even smiled a bit as he nuzzled at her, draping a wing over the lump her body made in the blankets.

"Thanks, Bud," she whispered, snuggling closer. The heat that radiated off his scales soothed her further, lulling her away from her anger. She had no reason to be angry with her Night Fury; he'd saved her life over and over, putting his at risk many times in the process. He stuck by her, always. He accepted her unconditionally, and gave her his undying loyalty. The thought brought a fond smile to her face. He had her undying loyalty as well; she needed him as much as he needed her. Everything would be alright with Toothless around.

She loved him dearly, and with that she was able to drift off to sleep. Her black mood, for the first time ever, had been cut short.

Hiccup slept soundly through the night, and when she woke beneath Toothless' protectively curled wing, any lingering resentment towards her village and its people evaporated. After all, there was no point harboring grudges over wounds years old. She was better off moving forward with her life. After all, she was coming of age soon, and she didn't want childhood hurts to hinder her transition into adulthood. She had a lot of important decisions to make soon.

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**A/N:** sorry it's not a longer chapter, but I thought it was important to cut it off here. I think a critical part of Hiccup's character and conflict at this point in her life is dealing with such a radical and sudden switch in social status. She literally went from zero to hero in _one day_. While I think she would mostly be grateful for the shift, there's no way those years of being treated so poorly would vanish all the way. To act like she feel 100% a part of the community would be an unrealistic lie, and would cheat Hiccup of her hard-earned depth of character.

Also, reminder that this sequel is coming entirely out of my own brain, which means that your comments and critiques are my guidance. So thank you so much again for all your support and help, I love you guys, and I'll post again soon!


	3. Beginnings

**A/N: **Hey again guys! It's been about a month since the last update, so I figured you guys deserved a new chapter (I'm super generous or something) :P

Again, not a huge chapter, but _does_ have important content, especially since we keep getting closer to the actual "start" of the story. Also, there is some more Astren in this chapter, for those of you who are fans.

Enjoy, and as always, leave me feedback, it keeps me motivated and on track, _and_ it makes sure that the quality of my storytelling stays good. :D Thanks for your overwhelming support, as always, it means so much to me.

ON WITH THE STORY!

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**Chapter Three: Beginnings**

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A few weeks later, Hiccup woke to weak sunlight streaming through her window. She smiled – it was the end of February, the freezing weather and sleet normally stopped about this time of year. While it would remain cold enough to keep ice on the small lakes and streams for weeks yet, they didn't get much snow past the end of February, which meant unrestricted flying for her and Toothless.

Furthermore, tomorrow was her birthday and coming-of-age. She would be seventeen, old enough to be treated as a full adult in Viking society. While that made her nervous, to some extent, she was also excited. She had idea of what she wanted for her birthday, but she needed to do some more research before she shared this idea with Stoick. Therefore, it was off to the Great Hall today, to the small back room where most of the books were kept. She was near giddy with excitement. Even without her research to spur her on, Hiccup loved delving into the pile of musty books. Just the thought of old, dusty parchment under her fingers made her smile.

She hauled herself to the edge of her bed, expertly strapped on her prosthetic, and stripped off her nightgown on her way to her water bowl. She dunked her hair, and splashed her face hastily, clearing her features of the last remnants of sleep. Still dripping, she pulled clean clothes out of the trunk at the base of her bed. Instead of her usual tunic and leggings, she slipped on a green skirt with gray embroidery over gray woolen pants. Then it was on with a cream colored shirt, the sleeves falling nearly to her fingertips, and green vest that would keep her torso warm. Over it all, she threw on her bearskin cloak, fastening it about her shoulders.

"Hey, lazybutt," she called playfully, sliding on her right boot and tossing the long-unused left one at Toothless' head. The large lizard was still dozing away on her bed. She missed, of course, but the boot did manage to clip his shoulder. Toothless shook himself, opened one reluctant eye and warbled at her in discontent. "Come on, Bud, I need to go to read some books!"

He huffed fussily, but stretched and hopped down off her bed. His wings stretched out, filling the full expanse of her room before they were fully stretched. Shaking himself, he followed her down the stairs and out the door, drawing up alongside the girl so that she could use his shoulder for extra support on the slippery, sleety ground.

They were most of the way to the Great Hall when running footsteps caught up to them.

"Good morning," a familiar voice called. Hiccup peered over her shoulder, smiling at Astren as he jogged up to them.

"Hey, you," she responded and then shrieked with laughter as her boyfriend of nearly three years picked her up and swung her around. He set her down before she got too dizzy, and planted a quick kiss on her lips. "Not that I mind, but why such an enthusiastic greeting this morning?"

"No reason," he responded quickly. "Well, you do look especially nice today. And it's your birthday tomorrow. And why not?"

"Alright," she shook her head at the mildly uncharacteristic behavior. "Whatever you say, weirdo."

"What are you up to?" Astren asked as they continued their walk. Hiccup watched him in the morning light. Now seventeen (he'd turn eighteen in a few months), he was both taller and broader than he used to be, covered in gradually-bulking muscle. His hair was shorter, and a shade darker than the golden blond it used to be, the longest strands laying against the nape of his neck. He now sported dark gold stubble across his jaw, the beginnings of a beard trimmed close for the time being. His eyes were as blue as ever, but his face had lost its last remnants of roundness and was now all strong lines. By no means was he as bulky as the average viking, but he was as tall, and in a few years Hiccup guessed he would match their stature. Next to him, she felt tiny.

Granted, the past years had given her a couple of additional inches. Still, she remained decisively miniscule for a Viking; Astren towered over her. Even now, she struggled to fill the image of a proper Viking woman. Her face had lost some of its childishness as her cheeks lost some of their roundness, cheekbones and browbones and jawbones that slightest bit more pronounced. Her hair grew out a bit, now falling past the tops of her shoulders. She gained back the weight that she'd lost in recovering from the Battle with the Green Death, but her body remained too weak and scrawny by far for Viking standards. The idea of her filling out the breastplates that many women wore was downright laughable.

Still, Astren showed no dislike for how she looked. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it, as he picked her up and swung her around in greeting more and more frequently.

"Off to the library for research," she replied brightly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a fond smile cross his lips at her uncharacteristic-for-a-Viking enthusiasm towards books.

"Alright, weirdo," he teased her back. "Take a break from the books in a few hours and join me in a few hours for lunch, will you?"

"Sorry, I need to get through this stuff as fast as possible. I wanna ask my dad for a special birthday gift, but I have to research it first," she shook her head. "But how about dinner?"

"Fine, meet me in the Great Hall at sunset. And I call dibs on you from midday till sunset tomorrow, deal?"

"Deal," Hiccup beamed, standing on tiptoe to kiss him. He kissed her back thoroughly, hands warm and firm where he held onto her arms, hers playing with his collar. She pulled back after several moments. "Okay, now stop distracting me!" she pushed at him playfully.

"Alright, alright, I'm going!"

She watched his retreating form for a few moments before turning back to Toothless. She stumbled forward as his huff of air ruffled her hair. The dragon could hardly contain his enthusiasm, he enjoyed the library nearly as much as she did. The windowless room was pleasantly musty, walls close, almost cave-like.

Of course, her dragon would benefit from the work she was doing today, but he didn't know that. If Stoick let her have this gift, it would be _her_ gift to Toothless; she didn't know his actual birthday, so she chose hers for them to share. Perhaps it was silly to give a dragon an honorary birthday, for they lived so long she doubted it mattered.

But dammit, Toothless was hers, and if she wanted to give him a gift on their shared 'birthdays', then she _would_.

"Okay, I get it," she sighed with fond exasperation as he kept butting his snout against her back. She started walking, allowing him urge her along their path. "I'm going, I'm going. For a flying lizard, you sure like the library."

Toothless half-crooned, half-growled at her. Hiccup recognized the tell-tale signs of his impatience and picked up her pace without any further complaints. As they walked side-by-side, her thoughts once again turned to a question that kept pestering her.

If Toothless could speak to her, some sort of word-based language and not the croons and growls and rumbles she had long since interpreted, what would he say?  
Perhaps it was a waste of time to consider such questions. It would probably take magic to accomplish, and thus was a fool's errand. There was no magic, no gnomes, no trolls. She knew that, Hiccup scolded herself as she entered the Great Hall and headed up the staircase at the back of the room.

Still, what was the harming in looking into it, at least a little bit? She already planned to spend the entire day in the library. Even as she took down the most reliable atlas from the shelves, she considered what books or scrolls might aid this new branch of research.

* * *

The sun was setting when Astren decided it was time to drag Hiccup out of the library. He could smell dinner wafting up from the kitchens, and if he knew Hiccup, she hadn't stopped to eat for lunch. A powerful shove from his shoulder, and Astren managed to swing the stiff doors open. The room inside was dimly lit, the brightest spot directly underneath a lit torch, which was secured in one of the holders well away from any flammable parchment. He still questioned the wisdom of open-flame torches as the only sources of light in a room filled with paper.

"Hiccup?" he called, stepping past a contently-dozing Toothless curled up on the floor. The dragon must have recognized his steps before the boy even entered the library, for he always assessed newcomers for any threat to his rider.

"Over here!" her voice called, muffled by a bookcase between them. He followed the sound, rounding the corner to find Hiccup replacing a couple of scrolls in the area designated for folktales and fables, one case over from the more often used maps. By the look of them, the scrolls she used were ancient.  
"Good day for your research?" he asked, walking over to her and then stooping, pressing a kiss to her lips. He felt her smile against him in response, pulling away before he was quite ready for the kiss to end.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were alight, dancing with excitement even in the poor lighting. He supposed it was worth a shortened kiss to see the look on her face. Even now, it wasn't often her whole expression lit up with joy. Astren wanted to see that look more often, to _put_ it there himself. He cleared his throat, which was oddly tight all of a sudden.

"Glad to hear it. C'mon, let's get dinner, you've been here all day. I'm gonna get jealous of those dusty old scrolls soon," he teased. Hiccup rolled her eyes, but went along as he took her hand and started tugging her out of the room.

"You're just lucky I'm done. I'd never part from my beloved scrolls," she bantered back, laughing as he stuck his tongue out at her. With all of her friends already past their coming-of-age, they'd become much more serious in the past year or so. Astren knew he had too, though his seventeenth birthday was several months back. He knew Hiccup has noticed his increased seriousness in the past months, and he could see it sadden her. She loved to be playful and carefree, perhaps because most of her young life had been so austere and cold. She often goofed around with Toothless, but it was nice for Astren to be playful with her again, even for a moment.

Astren dragged her over to eat with Ruff and Tuff and Snotlout as Toothless trailed lazily after them. He snuck glances at her face, still alight from a fruitful day in the library, as he ate. Fishlegs joined them a few minutes late, but with her arrival their group was complete, and they spent more than an hour eating, talking, and otherwise enjoying the company.

It was dark when he finally walked Hiccup home, Toothless a dark shape ahead of them. The dragon had already entered Stoick's house by the time they drew up to the porch, which Astren was grateful for. He enjoyed having Hiccup's full attention on himself.

"Thanks, Astren. I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled, her hands on his shoulders as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him. His hands quickly found her waist, pulling her close as their kiss grew long and lingering.

Finally, he pulled back, not wanting to risk Stoick opening the door. While the cheif was fairly generous with giving them some privacy, he _would_ (and had when they took too long giving good-night kisses) open the door and stare menacingly at his daughter and her beau if they pushed it.

"Night, Hiccup," he whispered, lovingly smoothing an errant strand of hair from her face. Her skin was soft and warm to the touch, and he marveled at the texture of it beneath his roughened fingertips.

"Night," she smiled back, pressing one more quick kiss to his lips before she turned to go inside. She held his gaze as she shut the door, giving him one last almost-shy smile before it shut completely.

_I can't wait for tomorrow_, he thought as he walked back home.

* * *

**A/N: **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed, and please drop me a review. As always, I love your feedback. Revel in it, even!


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